San Jose Earthquakes dominate Real Salt Lake 5-0

San Jose Earthquakes' Simon Dawkins, center, celebrates with Chris Wondolowski, left, and Justin Morrow after scoring against the Real Salt Lake during the second half an MLS soccer game in Santa Clara, Calif., Saturday, July 14, 2012. The Earthquakes won 5-0. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Chris Wondolowski had a hat trick, and the Quakes beat Salt Lake for the third time this season, 5-0 Saturday night at Buck Shaw Stadium.

The emphatic victory in front of a sellout crowd of 10,744 increased San Jose's lead over second-place Salt Lake in the MLS Western Conference to four points.

"I felt we were in charge from the opening whistle," Quakes coach Frank Yallop said. "There was no doubt that we wanted to win this game. I really felt good about it."

In a heated battle in which the teams combined for seven yellow cards -- five awarded to Salt Lake -- and a red card, the Quakes (12-4-4) scored four times with a man advantage after Kyle Beckerman was ejected in the 57th minute.

Wondolowski increased his league-leading scoring total to 17, and Alan Gordon, filling in at striker for Steven Lenhart (concussion), and Simon Dawkins added goals.

The Quakes matched their largest margin of victory since a 5-0 win over Dallas in April 2000.

"I felt good that once it got to 10 men, we really turned the screws, which is the sign of a good team" Yallop said. "We sensed that they were in trouble, obviously a man down, and we took it to them. To be honest, it could have been more."

Dawkins made a triumphant return as a substitute after missing three weeks with a sprained left shoulder, scoring for the third time this season.

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Salt Lake (11-7-3) was in big trouble after Beckerman was ejected during a tumultuous sequence for arguing with the referee. The teams squared off after Beckerman appeared to foul Sam Cronin after the whistle, and Cronin reacted angrily.

When tempers calmed, Salt Lake's Fabian Espindola and the Quakes' Justin Morrow also received yellow cards.

Wondolowski probably could have had have had a few more goals. He credited the team's midfielders as being the stars of the game.

"From Sam Cronin, Rafael Baca, Shea Salinas, Marvin Chavez, Simon and Khari (Stephenson), all those guys were pure class. It was definitely a team effort. I thought our midfield won the game for us."

It was more misery for Real Salt Lake, which played two men down from the final 21 minutes in a 3-1 loss against San Jose in April, before Salt Lake squandered scoring chances galore in a 2-1 loss to the Quakes at home on June 23.

The Quakes led 1-0 on a brilliantly executed corner kick in the 18th minute. Chavez sent the ball in from the right to Gordon, who headed it to his right into traffic. A pushed-up defender Justin Morrow shot the ball across the goalmouth before Wondolowski scored from the far post, upping his league-leading total to 15 goals.

But the hosts were frustrated not to score a few more in the first 45 minutes. Wondolowski, who was always in the thick of it, popped a header over the top from 6 yards out off beautifully delivered cross from Chavez on the left in the 41st minute.

Looking sharp from the outset, the Quakes nearly struck twice in the first 10 minutes.

Wondolowski headed a ball across the goalmouth from the left, and Gordon got a foot on it before Wondolowski's dead-on shot was knocked away by a coming-out goalkeeper Nick Rimando, who was well off his line.

On another near-miss, Wondolowski shot inches wide from 18 yards with his left foot in the ninth minute after a leaping Gordon pressured a defender into a blown clearance.